Of Deals and Devils
by Declaration
Summary: (Sabriel Police!AU ; Implied Destiel) Gabriel Novak is known as the prankster of the precinct, constantly causing trouble for his Chief and fellow officers, but too good at his job to remove. All of that changes when the Chief puts Gabriel on Rookie Duty and he comes face to face with Sam Winchester and a new sort of responsibility. (Rated M For Future Content)
1. Welcome To The Force, Kiddo

_**Disclaimer**__: I hold no ownership over any of the characters in the below fanfiction; if I did, Destiel would be canon, Sabriel would be canon, and I'd have a lot more followers on tumblr. Enjoy!_

* * *

"DAMNIT NOVAK! Can I not have one day, ONE where you're not messing around on the job?" Michael groaned, slamming his hands onto his desk as he stared across it at the tired Detective, "One day without you firing your weapon without cause!"

"C'mon Chief, give me a break." Gabriel whined back, "I did have just cause! He pulled a knife on the hostage and-"

"You were off duty and you almost HIT that hostage! Do you know how much paperwork I have to do to cover for your ass? Why not just let the sniper get him? It's his job!" Gabriel crunched down on his sucker as the Chief continued his verbal assault, "For this, you get to deal with Rookie duty."

"What? WHY! Didn't you just get done telling me how irresponsible I was? What if I teach the kid bad habits or something?"

"Shut up Novak. Maybe taking some responsibility will help shut down this wild side of yours." Both heard a light rapping against the door, "As a matter of fact, this should be him now. Enter!" Gabriel grimaced again and slowly turned around to see a giant of a man walk through the door.

"Holy moose!" He stood up, trying to retain some semblance of height, "I mean…" Michael sighed and dropped his head into his hands.

"Sam Winchester, meet Gabriel Novak, your new partner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Detective Novak." Sam said, a small smile crossing his face as he held his hand out to Gabriel, "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"Please, call me Gabe." Gabriel's smile quickly returned as he took the young man's hand and shook it, "I'm sure you'll get tired of dealing with me pretty quickly, but so long as you keep a supply of candy on hand, I'm pretty much an obedient-"

"Novak, please." Michael stressed, standing slowly. "Don't try to trick someone into carrying more candy around for you in the hopes that you will shut your mouth for more than the amount of time it takes for you to eat said candy." Gabriel snapped his fingers in mock disappointment and looked back over Sam, taking note that his eyes were a deep brown, almost the color of a top shelf whiskey, and surrounded by laugh lines that betrayed his age.

"Let me show you around the office. Our building is pretty old, like the Chief here, but it's huge and easy to get lost in." Gabriel grabbed his coat off the chair and pushed Sam out the door before Michael could get out another word.

"Alright, alright." Sam laughed, allowing Gabriel to push him out the door; though he could have easily stopped the smaller man from doing so, "You don't have to keep pushing me, you know." Gabriel laughed from behind him stopped, moving to stand beside him.

"Alright kiddo, obviously you've already seen the bull pen, and the Chief's office. Those stairs to the right lead up to Narcotics, the Juvenile division and, for the moment, our local Child Protective Services workers. Their building is under construction, and we were the only place with space at the last moment. Needless to say, you don't want to go up there if you don't have to. It's a maze to begin with and the Juvi agents and CPS workers keep arguing about the best way to save kids." Gabriel rolled his eyes, "How about breeding licenses? I think that might help a little. You never see a gay or lesbian couple who complain about their kids, and you know why? Because they have to fight to have kids to begin with and only those more fit to be parents get them. I figure, just because you have the organs to have kids, doesn't mean you should." Sam stared down at Gabriel with a small smile. The man obviously loved kids, and hated some of the things he had to see on a daily basis that hurt them, but it was the passion that he spoke with that Sam found more endearing than anything else. "So what do you think Winchester? Are you a fan of kids?"

Sam snapped himself into reality as he felt the warm mass that was Gabriel press against his side, "Nothing against them. Figure it would be great to have one someday, but…" Gabriel felt Sam tense up and pull himself away, "Well, let's just say that it wasn't meant to be for me." He felt the tears trying to betray him as he thought of Jessica and the house fire that had killed her and his unborn child while he had been in class 8 years ago, a fire that had never been explained and the very thing that had taken him off the path to be a lawyer and into the dangerous career path of an officer of the law.

Gabriel took the hint to change the subject as he popped a sucker into Sam's mouth, "How about we hit the firing range, huh Winchester?" It's in the basement next to the lock up and a couple feet of reinforced steel walls away from the cages; so we'll be able to finish up most of the tour there and I can see how good of a shot you are."

The two started down the stairs with their final destination in mind, "Novak! Rookie! We've got a problem. Chief wants you out, now. We just got a call for a body found on the corner of 6th and Franklin, and apparently the store owner can still hear gun shots. Supposedly be part of the murder cartel you've been covering." Gabriel's happy go lucky smile fell as he threw on his coat.

"Let's go Moose, we've gotta get out there and see if we can catch whoever is still shooting."

"R-Right!" Sam chased after Gabriel, who was already half way out of the building before he had a chance to answer.

* * *

"Sam, stay here, I'm going to try and cut him off before he can get through the rest of the alley and into the streets!" After almost hitting the perp with their squad car, Sam and Gabriel had spent 30 minutes chasing Azazel Addams through the countless alley ways and side streets of the city.

"Alright! Go!" Sam stood his ground, pistol in hand, as Gabriel shot off through the second alley, sure that he could catch Azazel. Minutes began to tick by, feeling like hours, until Sam heard a far off gunshot, "Ah, screw it!" He sped off in the direction of the sound; the exact alleyway that Gabriel had entered. He didn't realize he had been holding his breath until he came across Gabe with an unconscious Azazel, leaning against an empty dumpster.

"Hey there Sammy, good to see you!" Gabriel laughed, trying to stand himself up, "I got him. However, I think he kind of got me too." Blood seeped from Gabriel's leg as he gave up and sat back down, "Get him in the car and call for someone to pick him up, I'll be fine until then."

"Gabriel, I can't just-"

"Winchester! Now! We don't want to risk him getting up and running off on us again. You don't know the city well enough and I don't think I'm in the shape to actually go running again at the moment. I'll be fine." With an angry glare towards Gabriel, Sam handcuffed Azazel and started dragging his unconscious body towards the car, calling in his position along the way.

Backup arrived soon after, taking Azazel into custody. "Sir, we can't get an emergency vehicle into the alley ways to get Detective Novak, and we don't know his exact location. We're going to need you to go back and get him so that we can give him medical attention." Sam nodded and headed back to where he had left Gabriel, silently praying that he was okay and cursing himself for not making sure he had stopped the bleeding before he left.

"Gabriel? You still with me man?" Sam kneeled down next to him, quickly checking his leg. He sighed in relief when he saw the makeshift tourniquet that Gabe had created with his jacket.

"Course I am. You've only been my partner for a day; you can't get rid of me that easy." Gabriel tried to laugh, patting Sam on the shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, well, I'd hope not." Sam leaned in further, checking Gabriel for any other wounds, "You sure you're-"

Sam was cut off as Gabriel sat forward, capturing his lips in a soft, yet forceful kiss. He tasted sweet, like warm caramel, with a hint of coffee and tobacco. He didn't know if they sat together like that for seconds or minutes, but he felt an immediate loss when Gabriel finally pulled away and waggled his eyebrows. "Thanks for coming back for me, Kiddo."


	2. You're On Gabriel Duty, Sammich!

Authors Note: Holy wow. I was not expecting the amount of views since this was posted. Fifty-Eight as of the moment I am trying this. Plus my three wonderful reviewers (I love you), and the multiple people who have put this story on Alert and Favorites (I also love you).

* * *

Sam and Gabriel had walked in silence out of the alley way, to the emergency vehicle's waiting to take him in to check his leg. _Why did he kiss me?_ Sam wondered to himself, _Why did I let him kiss me? _Gabriel's arm was around his waist, holding on for support after refusing to let Sam just carry him.

"C'mon Kiddo, I have appearances to keep up." Gabriel had laughed, originally trying to wave off any attempt at help.

If had taken him at least 10 minutes to even convince him to help this much.

"Novak! Winchester! We were starting to think you'd gotten lost… or that Novak had bled out. What took you so long?" The EMT scoffed, helping Sam lie Gabriel down on the gurney, "Michael came and did Azazel's pick up personally, said he wanted to make sure they got him in this time. He said to tell you good job."

"Oh awesome, the boss man said good job to me. " Gabriel jabbed Sam in the ribs softly, "I feel special."

"So, is he going to be alright?" Sam asked, ignoring Gabriel's attempts at keeping his attention, "From what I can tell, he stopped the bleeding pretty well with his coat, but there's no telling what will happen when we remove it; and I wasn't there when he was shot, so I don't know if the bullet is still in there or not."

"We'll get him checked out at the Hospital, but there's no way we can check him out here. We can never be too careful. For all we know, he could have nicked the femoral artery or something." He was loading Gabriel into the ambulance as they spoke, "They took your car; you riding with him?"

"Yeah, I'll hop in back with him." Sam nodded, trying to fight down the flush of his cheeks as Gabriel waggled his eyebrows at him from the ambulance." The EMT nodded to Sam as he climbed in, and shut the doors behind him. "You sure you're alright Gabe?"

"Psh. I'm fine Sammich, calm down. I've taken worse shots in the line of duty. I've been doing this long enough. I did my 2 years of college, and my training and all the fricken background checks!" He laughed, "I'm 32 years old. I've been in doing this job since I was 20. What about you; why did you become a cop, Sam?"

"Gabriel, I think you're going into shock." Sam avoided the subject like the plague, "How about you keep talking, and we'll come back to me when we know you're not about to pass out from blood loss?"

"Speaking of which, why isn't Gary back here taking care of me? Gary! Do you hear me! Why do I still have a coat around my leg?" Gabriel yelled towards the driver, "Ah, whatever. I'll be fine, I'm always fine! I have to be fine; who will take care of Snicker and Doodle if I'm not? 'Tis just a flesh wound!"

"Are you… are you really quoting Monty Python?"

"But of course!"

"Also, Snicker and Doodle? Really?"

"You leave my dogs out of this Samsquach. They're good girls." He nodded, "They keep me out of trouble."

"Uh huh." Sam nodded, letting Gabriel ramble on until they reached the hospital.

* * *

"Alright boys, time to get Novak inside and get that leg looked at." Sam climbed out and assisted with the gurney as Gary wheeled Gabriel into the hospital, trying his hardest to ignore the actual hospital, "Yo, Winchester. You coming, or do you plan on staring at that crack in the parking lot all night?"

"What? Oh! Sorry." Sam rushed to catch up to the EMT and his partner.

"You know what, I hate doctors." Gabriel grumbled. The bullet had been removed from his leg, and his wound stitched up, after a long lecture from the doctor towards Sam for not getting Gabriel in sooner, "Don't take what he said to mind; the man shouldn't talk to you like he knows you oh-so-personally-"

"Gabriel, why did you kiss me?" Sam choked out, cutting Gabriel off before he could continue.

"Good question Kiddo." Gabriel smiled softly, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and motioning for Sam to sit, "You looked worried. I figured it would be a distraction." Sam sat down next to him, watching him from the corner of his eyes, "Besides, I can't say it was so easy to fight the temptation with you so close like that."

"So do you just… Do that to everyone then?" Sam immediately regretted asking the question as Gabriel shot him a look that would have killed him if possible.

"Don't patronize me Sam." His face was completely stoic, "We may have just met, and that may have been sudden of me, but I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't-"

The doctor walked back in, causing Sam to jump off the bed and over to the other side of the room, silently thanking him for the intrusion, "Alright Mr. Novak. You're being released, but you're off duty for the next week. You really should be off that leg a bit longer, but I've already spoken to Chief Alexander, and he's agreed to put you on desk work until I have deemed you able to go back into the field. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Gabriel gave the doctor a mock salute and rolled his eyes.

"Mister Winchester, I've also been told to inform you that you are on 'Gabriel duty' until he can come back into work." Sam nodded; a little bit confused by the unorthodox approach this branch of the police force took in comparison to his former precinct in the city.

"Understood, sir. I'll make sure I keep an eye on him so he can recover quickly."

"Good. I'll get his discharge paperwork ready so you can take him home. I'm sure he'll be able to give you directions." The doctor nodded once more and stepped from the room.

"So. Gabriel duty, huh?" Gabriel tried to hold back a sly smile, "Looks like you're really stuck with me kiddo."

"I'm not too worried. After all, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

* * *

"This is probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to me." Sam groaned, holding the frozen bag between his legs, "I was wrong."

"Sorry. I think Snicker was excited…" Gabriel shifted on his crutches so he could pet the large fluffy German Sheppard, "At least Doodle feels bad." The black dog was standing next to Sam, her head on his lap, staring at him with the saddest eyes either man could have ever imagined. The moment Sam had swung open the door, the two girls had bum rushed him, expecting Gabriel. The height difference had been his downfall as they had collided roughly against him.

"It's not their fault. You told me you had dogs. I just didn't expect big dogs." He pet Doodle, "It's okay girl, I know you didn't mean it." In response, she whined and clamored next to him on the couch, never moving her head from Sam's lap. Snicker had refused to leave Gabriel's side, giving him a solid mass to lean against instead of the crutch.

"C'mon girl." Gabriel cooed, walking with Snicker to sit on the couch, "Sorry the place is such a mess. I don't usually have company."

"A mess?" Sam looked around the immaculate apartment, the cleanliness ruined by only the haphazard mountain of candy wrappers across the living room table, "If this is a mess, you should never walk into my apartment. However, please tell me you didn't eat all this candy in one sitting…?"

"Me? Oh no… Never…" Gabriel coughed illusively, "Okay, I can't lie to you Samsquach. I did."

"How do you not have diabetes or something, dude?"

"I have no idea, but I'm not going to question my body when it lets me eat all the candy I want." He smiled and shoved Sam softly, "Why, you worried about little 'ol me?" false

"Shut your pie hole Gabriel." Sam rolled his eyes and pushed back, putting him on the receiving end of a grunt from Doodle, "Sorry girl, didn't mean to dislodge your pillow." He patted her head again and watched Gabriel as he pulled Snicker onto the couch and into his lap.

"Poor baby has really bad hip dysplasia, so I spoil her a little more than her sister." Gabriel explained quietly as she curled up in his lap, tongue lolling out as Gabriel continued to shower her with his affections, "I think Doodle is well on her way to it too, seems to run in their family." Sam nodded a little and put his free arm across the back of the couch, accidentally brushing his hand across the back of Gabriel's neck in the process.

Gabe stiffened a little at Sam's touch, knowing it was unintentional but enjoying the feeling of skin on skin while it lasted, "So… Uhm…"

"Yeah." Gabriel looked over to Sam with a small smile, "You can stay here tonight, if you like. I only have one bed, but I can take the couch."

"I don't want to be a burden Gabe, especially when you're already injured. I'll take the girls out for you and be back first thing in the morning to help you out." He picked up Doodle and stood, setting her back down on the couch, "Let me get you up to bed first though, I don't trust you to go up those stairs with crutches." Snicker hopped off Gabriel's lap to sit next to her sister, as if she knew she would have had to move anyways, "So, let's get you to bed."

It took next to no time for Sam to help Gabriel hobble up the stairs and sat him down on his bed, "I appreciate the help Sam. God knows I'm too proud to ask for it, but I am grateful."

Hey, don't worry about it. We're partners now, I'd expect you would do the same for me if I got shot or beat up in the line of duty. You okay to get out of your uniform?"

"Yeah, I can handle it." Gabriel rolled his eyes, pulling off his uniform top, not bothering with the buttons as he threw it to the floor, "I got shot in the leg, not the 'everything else'." Sam tried to laugh at Gabriel's attempt at a joke, but found himself distracted by the contours of his chest and arms. He wasn't horribly muscular by any means, but fit, with an all over tan that proved the man spent many hours in the sun. His skin paled slightly around the edge of his pants, and Sam forced himself to look away before he let his mind go any further. He did not need to imagine the feel of those slim hips pressed against him, or the light pressure of his legs locked around his waist, "You okay Sam? You look a little flushed."

"I'm fine." Sam gasped, turning to step out the door as Gabriel lowered and threw his pants across the room, "I'll walk the girls and lock up. See you in the morning!" He rushed away, cursing himself as he leashed the girls and shook his head, "Why on earth was I so… Ugh. Stop it Sam. Don't think about it. It's just been a while; even men are starting to look attractive." He fed himself the lie as easily as he had in his teenage years; but as he walked the two dogs across the lawn to do their business, his mind wandered back to the earlier kiss and the intoxicating feel of Gabriel's hand's in his hair, "Oh man, I'm so screwed."


	3. Let's Take It Slow, Moose!

Authors Notes: Before I get into anything, many apologies to those of you who have been patiently awaiting this chapter. I had some not-so-fun things happen and it kind of drugged up my muse, locked her in a box, and had her thrown out to sea by some other emotional personification. Also, many thanks to the 7 wonderful reviewers, the 18 people who added this as a favorite, the beautiful 26 people who are following this, and the 375 people who read this over time. You are all awesome.

* * *

'What am I doing?' Sam groaned to himself as he reached the shelter of his own apartment, "One kiss and one unintentional strip show and I'm head over heels for someone I've just met? C'mon Sam. Let's not be stupid. He's your partner. Work partner! Work partner." He signed and tried to keep repeating this to himself, but he couldn't stop thinking about how those lean legs would feel wrapped tightly around his waist, the tingle of warm breath on his neck as he rode into ecstasy. "Nope. Nope, nope, nope." Sam threw himself onto his bed, clamping his hands onto the mattress, trying to force himself into the realm of dreams.

His phone went off at 6am; 'Heat of the Moment' echoing from the speakers, "Damnit Dean…" Sam growled to himself, trying to stave off a smile as he picked up the phone, "Did you really change your ringtone on my phone last time I saw you?"

"Shut up Samantha, you love it." Dean's voice was quiet on the line, "How is the new place and new job? You settling in alright, have everything you need? No one is giving you problems?"

"Dean, I'm 28 years old. I don't need you to baby me anymore. I can handle this. I just needed a new place and I really needed the new job, and I've already got a partner who… Well, he's a little off the wall, but seems like a good guy."

"Uh huh… Either way, I wish you would come home. We miss you." Sam smiled, looking over to the small framed photo of Dean, his husband Castiel, and himself from a few summers back that sat on his nightstand; the only clean area in his home.

"I miss you guys too, but I need this. You know I do. This was the last place that…"

"I know Sammy. Look, just promise you'll visit when you start getting vacation." Another faint voice echoed from the phone line, "Look, Cas just got in. I've got to go. Stay safe little brother." The line went dead, and Sam swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor.

"I hope Gabriel doesn't mind me coming by early…. I wish I knew when Dean became such an early bird." Sam slowly plucked his uniform off and dug through the piles of clothes in an attempt to find something relatively clean; settling on a worn pair of jeans and a loose red sweatshirt, taking no effort to find an undershirt to go along with it.

* * *

The walk from his place to Gabriel's seemed much shorter in the early light of day; the streets were quiet, almost empty, save for a few birds. "Hey there, Sammich! Good morning!" Gabriel called, waving from his spot on the front porch.

"Gabriel? What are you doing out of bed! How did you even…. Are you in a computer chair?"

"I am, indeed! Snicker and Doodle got up early and wanted out, so I figured, can't walk, so why not take them out and sit in the wheel-y chair and let them to their thing." Gabriel barely got out the last word before the girl's caught sight of Sam and took off towards him; pulling Gabriel behind them.

Sam had only moments to brace himself before the girl's pounced him to the ground; the sudden stop turning Gabriel into a projectile. He landed on top of Sam, hands pressed onto his chest as the girl's went on with their affectionate assault on Sam's face. "Nice catch Sam. How are you this morning?" He patted Sam's chest, his face reddening slightly, "Sorry about that; I guess the girl's like you. They don't normally run off like that or I probably would have thought the computer chair was a worse idea than it probably was."

"It's, uh, It's okay." Sam nodded a little, unable to look Gabriel in the eyes, "Think we can, uh, get up?"

"Samuel! At least take me out to a real dinner first. I've got some standards." Gabriel rolled his eyes with a smile.

"That's, that's not what I mean and you know it."

"Aw, are you telling me you have a problem Sammy boy?"

"What? No!" Sam shot up, Gabriel still clung to his chest, his legs falling around Sam's hips to ease the pain in his wound, "Shit, I'm sorry, are you okay?" He turned slightly and ran his hand over the bandages he knew lied beneath Gabriel's clothing.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It'll take more than running into a moose to keep me down." Snicker whined and pushed against Gabriel's side, helping him steady himself as he stood. "As much as I'm enjoying being close and cuddly, the girl's need breakfast, and so do I. Care to join us?" He pushed himself back into the computer chair, Snicker and Doodle sitting on either side of him, watching Sam, and for a moment, Sam thought he saw a glimpse of fear in Gabriel's eyes.

"Sure. I'd love to." He dusted himself off as he stood, taking the leashes out of Gabriel's hands, "But I'll take the girls, so we don't have to worry about you flying off into someone else." He turned the chair around and started pushing Gabriel to the house.

* * *

"Dog food is under the counter." Gabriel pouted, as Sam set him on the couch, pushing the chair and crutches across the room, "You could at least let me make breakfast!"

"No. Just stay sitting. Didn't we talk about this last night?" Sam rolled his eyes, and dug out the bag of dog food, "How much do the girls get?"

"A cup and a half each; Snicker gets the blue bowl on the stand, Doodle has the red one on the ground…"

"Alright, I can do that; and what do you want for breakfast?" He fed the field and opened the fridge, happy to find it well stocked.

"Uh, cereal is fine; it should be on top of the fridge, behind the bread."

"Gabe, you've got enough here to make huge meals, and you want to eat cereal? No, not while I'm here. I'm going to make real food. How about pancakes and eggs, does that sound okay?"

"You're too good to me Sam." Gabriel sighed happily, "You know, it's been a long time since I've had company this long, this many days in a row. Most of my partners run away screaming after a day or so, and none of them have ever stayed back to help me; even under the chief's orders." He rubbed his leg and laid his head back against the sofa, "I really appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it Gabriel. I got use to taking care of my brother as I grew up, he kept me out of trouble and when…" He paused, flipping the pancakes, "Well, when tragedy struck, he was right there with me; his husband too. Dean is a therapist, specializing in soldiers with PTSD, and his husband is a surgeon. Between the two of them… well, they tried everything."Both men remained quietly as Sam finished breakfast.

"What happened Sam… I mean, if you don't mind talking about it." Gabriel asked softly, as Sam sat beside him with the food, Snicker and Doodle snoozing at their feet, their bellies full.

"I… Well, if you're going to have to deal with me, I might as well tell you the whole story…"


	4. I've Got You, Samsquach

Authors Note: Well, here it is; chapter 4. This may be a shorter chapter, it may be a really long chapter… but this is focusing on Sam and his past and why he became a cop. Enjoy.

* * *

Sam took a deep breath, and stared at Gabriel, "So… I might as well start at the beginning… It was my first year of college when I met her. Jessica. I knew the moment I laid my eyes on her, that she was the only woman I would ever want, for the rest of my life. She had eyes the color of a clear sky after a rainstorm, and her laugh made everyone around her feel like angels sang for them. It was a clear day, the first time we ran into each other; she was on the way to one class and I was rushing off to another. We literally collided; her face and my elbow were quickly acquainted."

"_I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you alright?" Sam grimaced as he helped the poor woman to her feet, "I'm late for pre-law and I just wasn't watching."_

"_I'm okay. Thank you. I'll probably have a shiner, but it would have been worse." She smiled at him; her eyes lighting up as she held out her hand, "Jessica Moore. Are you are?"_

"_Uh, I'm Sam. Sam Winchester. It's very nice to meet you Jessica."_

"_Please, just call me Jess. I'll see you around Sam Winchester."_

Gabriel watched as the wide array of emotions played across Sam's face, watched as his hands clenched and unclenched, like he didn't want to remember this story, "It's okay Sammich. You don't have to tell me."

"No, I'm fine… Just give me a minute." He squeezed his eyes shut and placed his hand on Doodle's head and scratched behind her ears in an attempt to calm himself, "Well. I went to class, but couldn't focus on anything. All I could think about was Jess that smile…" He cleared his throat and looked down at his lap, "I didn't see her again until a few weeks later, and she was sitting in the library wearing this huge Stanford sweater and the dorkiest pink bunny pajama pants that I had ever seen, pouring over an anatomy text-book."

"_Anatomy text-book, huh?" Sam stood behind Jess with a smile, unprepared for the sheer weight of the purse that smacked him in the face. "Ow! Son of a…" The string of expletives that came out of his mouth would have made even his father wash his mouth out with soap._

"_Shit, I'm sorry! You scared me!" Jess quickly jumped out of her chair, swinging around to stare at the person she had just assaulted, "Well! Sam Winchester. I suppose this makes us even?"_

"_Hi Jess. Yeah, I guess this does." He rubbed his face, trying to relieve the stinging sensation spreading across his cheek, "How are you?"_

"_Good! I'm going into nursing, so I'm just trying to prepare myself for the hell I'm probably putting myself through for the next few years." She reached up and placed her hand over his, "Sorry I hit you with my bag."_

"_We'll just call it karma, alright?" He smiled again, "Or, you know, we could always just go out for coffee or something? It's my treat."_

"_You had me at coffee. Let's go."_

"She grabbed my hand, and we were off. We started seeing each other pretty soon after, spending every moment outside of class together. Studying, eating, sleeping… We were both doing well in our classes, and ended up deciding to move in together after a few months. It was a really small place, just enough room for our bed and a few small pieces of furniture, but it was home. Looking back at it, I wish I would have appreciated that place more. We stayed there for two years; and by then, Jess had graduated with her bachelors in nursing and was off looking at jobs. She always wanted to help people. I was still plugging along, taking extra classes so I could finish off pre-law and get into Stanford's full law program."

"Things went like that for a while, and two more years passed. I'd finished up pre-law, and she was working full time as a nurse. That's actually how Dean met his husband, Cas." Sam smiled again, thinking about his brother and the man who had turned his life upside down, "My brother use to be quite the ladies man, before Cas, but those two… well, sparks flew when they met. It took them a little while, but they'll have been married for 3 years this December."

"Sounds like you really love those two." Gabriel smiled, patting Sam's hand.

"Yeah, I really do." He nodded, "Like I said, they were there once everything went bad." He shivered and Gabriel laced their fingers together, trying to provide some sort of comfort, "Since Jess and I were both doing so well, we decided to buy a house and get married. Nothing big, just a little court ceremony with Dean and Cas as witnesses for the marriage, and a little bungalow outside of the city, but not too far from campus. Everything was just… amazing."

"_Well, what do you think Jess?" _

"_It's beautiful Sam. I love it, and I love you." Jess smiled, pressing herself against Sam's side as they took their first step into their new home, "I've got some news though… Before we go any further or say anything else." Sam's grin fell as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a deep blue card, "I wanted to tell you sooner, but the time just never felt right, and we were both so busy…"_

_The card in his hand felt heavy, and he opened it slowly, revealing a dry, but used, pregnancy test; two pink lines, bright against the white backing, "Are you pregnant? Really?" He froze, his hands moving to settle on Jess's stomach, no sign of the new life forming just yet._

"_Positive. I spoke with one of the doctors and we ran all of the right tests. You're going to be a Daddy, Sam. We're going to be parents."_

Gabriel's eyes widened as Sam clenched his hand tighter, almost seeming to be holding onto Gabriel like a life line, "We were so excited Gabe. Jess had always wanted kids, and we were so ready…" Tears glistened in the larger man's eyes, threatening to fall, "We painted the nursery as soon as we found out the gender; we were going to have a little girl. I prayed every night that she would have her mother's golden hair and love of life, and that she wouldn't get as tall as I did." He choked back a laugh.

"Everything was perfect. Just perfect, we had our whole life ahead of us; until the fire happened. Jess had been home alone; I had a late class that I couldn't skip, even though her due date was so close. I wanted us to be able to have the best future possible for our growing family." He tried to explain, his body starting to shake as he tried to hold back the sorrow he hadn't relived since, "It was a gang initiation. They came in while Jess was making dinner. She didn't expect a thing, maybe because she thought I was home early, I don't know." The tell-tale tears started to fall, "They… did things to her first. We never found out to what extent, but we knew. After they finished with her, they tied her to the stairs and set the place on fire. By the time I got home, the police and ambulance were already there. Jess was still alive, but barely, and we rushed her to the hospital. Cas was on duty, and did his best, but… She didn't make it."

"_Sam." Cas stood in the doorway, his own hands clenched close to his side, "She's fading fast, we can't keep her much longer. She could barely talk, but demanded we try to save the baby…" He choked a little, "Sam, we need you to tell us what to do. If we try to save the baby, we'll lose her without a doubt, but if we don't, we will more than likely lose them both. What do you want us to do?"_

"_Cas, I…" Dean had his arm wrapped around his brother's shoulders._

"_Cas, you can't really expect him to make this kind of choice." His voice was cracked, his eyes tired, "This is…"_

"_Listen to her demands Cas." Sam whispered, "But please, try to save them both."_

"Cas did his best, but Jess passed away almost immediately after the pulled the baby from her… I got to hold my daughter for less than five minutes before she died too. She had my eyes… and a head full of golden curls…" Sam was nearly sobbing, unable to hold back any longer, "That's why I became a cop, Gabriel. I need to find the men who did this, I need justice."

Gabriel could hold back no longer, he pulled Sam close and held him tight, "Just let it out Sam. I've got you." He was barely able to contain his own tears as Sam clung to him, his head sitting in the crook of his neck as he cried, "I've got you…"


End file.
